Speed-arrester for vehicles.



S. F. TUTEUR.

SPEED ARRESTER ,08 VEHICLES. APPLxcMlou FILED AuG.|3.1917.

1 ,265,404. Patented May 7,1918.

r .IULFLIL inap Oyed-l SIEGFRIED F. TUTEUR, OEE SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

SPEED-ARRESTER FOR VEHICLES.

Speeicatinn of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 191 8.

Application tiled August 13, i917. Serial No. 185,867.

and danger warning for vehicles.

The object of the resent invention is to provide a cheap7 su stantial and effective device comprising a `series of plates or blocks having nndulations formed. therein which are adapted to be placed in roadways to form a permanent part thereof, particu* larly at points adjacent railway crossings and other danger points, which will not only serve as a means for compellingdrivers w of vehicles to slow down before they can cross, but which will also serve as a positive warning to the occupants of the vehicleregeirdless of rain, fog or darkness-that a danger point or crossing is being appreached, as the uniformity of the undulationsltogether with the depth of same will iinpart a seriesof shocks sufficiently severe to warn any one that a danger point isu heilig approached. Further objects will 80 hereinafter appear.

The invention also consists of the parts A"alnl the construction and combination of VVarts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompaiying drawin s, in whichi Flgure 1 is a p an view of a railway crossing showing the application of the invenj Fi '24 is a side elevation of the plates Fig. 3 is a plan view of same.

fig 4 is a cross section on the line 4 4 t o 1 3. Rcarring to the drawings in detail. A inirlli dicates aKplate preferably constructed of cast or pressed steel, the center portion of which is considerably raised and curved to form an undulation, such 'as shown at 2. The upper surface ,of this plate is corrugated or slotted, as ishown at 3,l to provide traction for ordinary teams and vehicles while the under surface is provided with three or more ribs, such as shown at 4, to strengthen and reinforce the plate. Any

suitable number of plates may be employed and bolted together by ordinary iish plates,

such as shown at 5. The plates should, under ordinary conditions, extend clear across the surfaceof a roadway and two or more series of plates should be emplo ed to impart the necessary warning and a so to compel drivers of vehicles to slow down before passing across the same.

The plates may be anchored to cross ties or set in concrete and as such will form a permanent part of a roadway. The con-n struction involved necessitates compara tively little alteration or breaking up of road or highways already constructed as the plates are set directly in the surface and will form a permanent part of the surface already existing. The plates when joined together may form twoor more parallel undulations extending cross-wise of the road.y such as shown in Figs. l and 2, and may be placed any suitable distance in advance of a railway crossing or other danger point.

The undulationsl may be made sufficiently severe to cause drivers ot approaching vehicles to slow down, for instance, to ten milesan hour or lesspif desired, thereby giving the driver a chance to come to a complete stop before the actual crossing is reached, if necessary. The undnlations presented do not only compel the' drivers of vehicles to slow down, butl they also serve as a positive warning to the drivers if they should happen to cross the undulations be fore noticing sanw. That s, the uniformity and number of 4undulations 'provided will impart a series of shocks sufficiently severe to warn any one that a danger point or railway crossing is being approached, thereby permitting the drivers to come to a stop before the crossing is reached or at least to slow down.

This is of considerable importance on dark nights pr in foo' or rainy weather, as it often happens that the shields are sufficiently covered with rain or sleet to prevent drivers of vehicles from actually seeing the undulations or the crossing or other danger point which is being approached. The shocks imparted to the vehicle and the uniformity of the same will. in the present instance, warn any one, thereby positively servingP the purpose intended and consequently reducing the number of accidents heretofore encountered at such points. The plates formin the un dulations described may not only e placed in roadways on each side of railway crossings, but may also be placed at other danger Il f) points along highways and the like, for instance, ahead of a sharp curve or a steep cliff, in this manner compe ling drivers not onl to slow down but also to warn them to loo i out for danger in one form or another.

The device as a whole consisting of the plates shown is simple and substantial in construction. The placing of same in roadways may be accomplished with comparatively little alteration or damage to the existing road beds, and, es their upper surfaces are corrugated, asshown at 3, 1t can readily be seen that sufficient traction is presented to permit ordinary teams to pass without the horses slipping or too much lresistance being presented where heavy loads are being handled.

The materials and finish of the plates together With, the method of anchoring same may otherwise he such as the ,ixperience and judgment of the inanuf-.ioturer may dictate and local conditions may require.

I also wish it understood that various changes in the form, proportions sind minor details of construction may he resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, and that I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and-consfrueiirm here shown.

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure b v Letters Iatent is: i l

1. As a, new article of manufacture, a vehielo speed arrester and danger warning adapted to he solnrriinposed on the finished or nornml lop surface of' a roadway, Cornposed oi' a curved plate having :iSeries of eorrugations extending thereacross, said corrugations being formed so as to provide traction grips und to :afford a means of warn` ing hy vibrating the vehicle, longitudinal rihsdepending from the under face of and located et llic sides of the curved plate for supporting the latter by seutin on the finished surface oi' a roadway, said curved plate hav'ino,` its ends arranged to lie horizontally, and meansV to anchor said plate ends in a roadway or the like.

2. As a new artir'le of manufacture, a vehicle spel-d arrester and danger warning, adapted to lie snpel'iinposml un the finished or normal top surface of a roadway, coniposcri of' a carved plaie haring aseries of eorringation` extending ilnfreaeross, sald oor rogations Ileiog fornwd -1o es to provide traetion lgrips and lo afl'ord a moans of warning by vibrating the veliiehsupporting means for the plate formed lo sont on the finished surface of a roadway, and ineens to anchor the plate in a roadway.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hond in the presence of two subseribing v, itncsses.

SIEG FR l ED F. TU TEUR. Wi messes A.. H. WAGNER, S. Piment; Tmsnnn. 

